On the Wings of an Angel
by IchiRuki77
Summary: Rukia Kuchiki's life is as normal as any teens can get...unless you count the fact that she can see mythical beings and an evil Warlord wants her dead. When an unlikely hero saves her one night, she's suddenly dragged into a life people tried so hard to keep her out of. Now, she's fighting for her life and trying to finish high school. No pressure, right? (aka Windows to the Soul)
1. Chapter 1

Here it finally is! The first chapter of **On the Wings of an Angel** (formally known as **Windows to the Soul**) (Thanks to my other half for help with the name). From now on, I hope to have semi-regular updates, hopefully a chapter in the first week of every month. I shall try. The first few months might be a little hectic because (shhhh, she doesn't know it yet!) but I plan on overloading my beta with chapter after chapter so that I always have one ready. (it's out little secret!)

I was going to put a prologue in this story, but have since decided against it because I don't want people to know what is happening too fast. Everything will be explained, it will just take some time. And now that I have another half of my story brain, things will go much smoother.

In other news, I'm keeping my beta very busy. Haha I need to thank **HibiscusAngel15 **for putting up with me and my ever changing mind. And we're only on chapter ONE!

And, as always, I need to thank my love, my life, and my other half, **PersonalRiot**, because I love her and basically write for her. And she knows it. RERE LOVE RIA LONG TIME.

So, without further ado, here we go! Enjoy, my loveys.

*Large blocks of texts in _italics _are flashbacks.*

* * *

Rukia woke up to the harsh pitter-patter of rain drops on her window. She slowly opened her tired violet eyes and turned to stare at the drops that fell steadily against her window.

Of course, it was raining. It was close to winter after all.

She let out a sigh before glancing over at her clock. It read, _2:34 a.m_. She sat up, giving another sigh. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep again until Renji got home. She shook her head a little to wake herself up, her tousled black hair whipping her face.

Rukia swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet feeling the soft white carpet of her room. She then stood, wobbling a bit, and stretched her arms above her head. The night shirt she was wearing rode up just over her belly button. She let her arms drop and walked out of her bedroom, grabbing her fuzzy white robe off a hook by the door. She slipped it on and left it untied.

She heard a clattering noise coming from Renji's room. She sighed and went in without bothering to knock. The room was dark, the only light coming from the open window. The carpet around it was soggy and it squelched under her feet. She shivered a little at the cold temperature and pulled the robe closer around her. The blinds were crashing noisily against the glass due to the wind of the brewing storm outside.

She jerked a string to pull them up and pulled the window shut. Renji probably left it open when he left…

Giving a loud, rather obnoxious yawn, she strolled into the kitchen of her shared apartment and opened the fridge. She looked around before grabbing the milk. She poured some into a glass and stuck it in the microwave, hitting the buttons for a minute and thirty seconds before walking to the couch and plopping down. She snatched one of the many blankets they had lying around as well as the remote, turning on the TV for background noise. She wrapped the thin sheet around her and let her mind wander, gripping a nearby pillow and staring blankly at some guy blabbing about how much his product was better than other stores.

She guessed Renji was out running through the woods outside of Karakura. There was a full moon out and werewolves had to Change during the three nights of the full moon, whether they liked it or not. It was only the first night.

Kuchiki Rukia had lived with her guardian, Abarai Renji, before she could remember. Although that wasn't saying much, seeing as how she couldn't remember the first nine years of her life.

Renji explained a few things to her on that faithful morning she awoke from her coma. Some things made perfect sense to her. She got caught in an explosion, suffered brain damage from the impact, and fell into a comatose state. Simple and to the point.

The things that didn't make sense? All those monsters and fantastical creatures from fairy tales? They were real. And Rukia could see them.

When she walked to school in the morning, she would wave to the mermaids, water nymphs, and sirens that played in the river. She would always give leftover scraps to the bogarts, trolls, and ogres that lived under the bridge and in the woods. She would even stop and talk to the lonely ghost or two that happened to cross her path. At night, she would hear the ominous howls of the werewolves and banshees that roamed the streets and spot the glittering trail any small fairy left behind.

According to him, she had always been able to see these creatures. One fact that particularly disturbed her was that she wasn't necessarily…human. There was a specific name for her kind.

She was a Fay. She had one magical parent and one mundane, human, parent. Fays were considered banes of the magical world. Freaks of existence. It hadn't always been like that. In the past, Fays were considered to be great beings, as they had a foot in both the human and magical realms.

"_Well, what happened to them?" Rukia had asked._

_The red head's expression darkened. He then recounted an event three hundred years to the date about a man named Aizen Sosuke who deemed Fays to be a disgrace to the magical name. His band of followers grew larger in number and they started a large-scale massacre against the species. Soon, the Fay became an endangered race. Renji told her that now there were only five known Fay in both realms._

_After a pregnant pause, Rukia had asked about the other magical creatures. The werewolf explained that in order for the magical realm to not intermingle with the human realm, and therefore preventing mass hysteria, the creatures would put themselves under a glamour, shadowing them from the human eye. _

Since she wasn't human, she could see through these glamours. The things she saw scared her for the first few weeks. Rukia had no idea how to act when she saw a mythological creature or if they were going to hurt her.

She spent two years being home-schooled by Renji in regular subjects, such as math and reading, and some not-so-normal subjects, like the different creatures that roamed about the Neutral World, as Renji had called it. She remembered the day she asked if there were other worlds beyond this one.

_"Renji?"_

_The red head __glanced__ up from his book __to the small girl__. "Yes?" he __inquired, raising an eyebrow._

_She cast her eyes downward and scuffed __her feet nervously __against the floor, twining her hands behind her back. Finally, she squared her shoulders and raised her head to __look at the werewolf dead in the eye__. __"You called this the Neutral World. Does that mean there are other worlds besides this one? If so, what are they called?" _

_He stared at her __in surprise __before narrowing his eyes. Frightened, she shied away from him and her eyes __returned__ to the floor. He __exhaled sharply, making her flinch. _

_"Rukia," he __began__ softly. __She slowly __raised her head to look at him. He gave her a reassuring smile. "Look, there are two other worlds__:__ Las Noches and Soul Society. They're also called The Underworld and the Upper Plains__. I don't like talking about them too much because they're way more dangerous than the Neutral World. The creatures from either place are dangerous. They might even kill you on the spot. Sometimes, a creature from either world will come to this one. If you ever encounter one, __I want you to run as fast as you can and don't look back. __And if you find a way to The Underworld or the Upper Plains, don't go.__ I don't ever, ever__, _ever_want you to go to either of those __damned__ places."_

_Rukia looked thoughtful for a second before looking at Renji __and smiling toothily__. "No problem, Wolf Man," __she__ said, using her favorite pet name for him. A vein __became transparent __on his head as she laughed at him. "I wouldn't want to leave you, anyway. You're the __only one __I can call family." _

_Renji grinned __and got up from his spot on the sofa__. __He grabbed __her around the waist and __lifted her in the air, swinging__ her around. Her high-pitched squeals of __laughter__echoed around __the apartment._

Rukia was dragged back into reality when the microwave beeped, indicating her milk was heated. Throwing the blanket off of her, she went to grab her cup and some hot cocoa mix. She hit the release button, carefully grabbed the steaming cup of milk, and turned around.

Suddenly, the cup slipped out of her hand as she noticed something sitting on the island in the center of the kitchen. It crashed onto the tiled floor, spraying shards of sharp clay in front of her and spilling her hot milk everywhere.

There in front of her was a hunched, pitch-black figure leaning forward and gripping the edge of the counter as it examined her. The eyes were circles of pure white, empty holes that held nothing in them. She felt its hot, disgusting breath prickle her skin and she shivered. Rukia had never seen such a creature before. She knew it wasn't from this world.

She backed up against the counter slowly, wincing as she stepped on a shard of glass. The creature tilted its head at her and then opened its mouth, revealing its gleaming, sharp teeth. She wanted to scream, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out. The thing gave out a high-pitched wail before launching itself at her.

Rukia ducked to the right, finally giving out a scream as the creature smashed itself onto the space she had occupied only seconds ago. It shook its head and seemed to glare at her as it crouched for another attack. She darted into the living room, looking wildly around for any form of weapon. She spotted one of the heavy dictionaries they kept on the coffee table and rushed over to it as she heard the creature give another wail behind her. She quickly seized the large book and swung around, catching the lunging beast on the side of the head.

It howled in pain and sailed into the kitchen through the alcove window. Rukia held the book in front of her chest, gripping it tightly in both hands, pausing before she cautiously approached the alcove, taking her time and stepping lightly. She then peered over the side, her heart thumping hard against her chest. She wondered if the whole room was filled with the noise of her terrified heartbeat. She couldn't see anything in the harsh storm outside. There was a moment of silence and she sighed in relief. It was dead…

Suddenly, she heard it squeal and was suddenly thrown back onto the floor. She hardly had time to scream. The thing was on top of her, drooling and gnashing its teeth. It tried to reach her jugular but she pushed its head back. Her arms struggled with the pressure and she stared in horror as its eyes grew darker until they became a blood red color. The creature gave a howl like she had never heard before, even from a banshee. She screamed as her hands slipped and it lunged toward her throat. She anticipated horrible pain and prayed that her death would be quick.

It never came.

She heard a small grunt and the thing's shrill cry. The place shook a bit as it was tossed back into the wall with a loud crash. Rukia snapped her eyes open. The creature picked itself up again with a growl. She followed where its red eyes were glaring and saw a man dressed in a black kimono. She sat up and stared at him in wonder, though he was ignoring her. He clenched his hands into fists and launched himself at the creature. She sat up quickly, screaming as the creature jumped at him. It gave off another wail as the two made contact.

The beast and the muscular man grappled on the floor. She watched, frozen in horror, as it rolled on top of him, clawing at his face. It then opened its mouth in a screech, lunging down to try and tear open his throat with its teeth. The orange-haired guy cursed before reaching up and punching the monster in jaw, _hard_. The creature flew off of him, but twisted itself so it would land on all fours. The guy propped himself up on his elbows and wiped the blood dripping from three deep scratches below his right eye, scowling at the blood that stained crimson on the backside of his hand. Rukia was surprised that he hadn't been more injured than that.

He jumped up and pulled a large sword off his back, charging at the black beast with a cry. The creature lunged, trying to attack the man with its long, wickedly sharp claws. The man blocked the attack but was being pushed back by the monster. It growled deep in its throat and then let out a frustrated, shrill scream. It reverberated in Rukia's eardrums and she fell to her knees from the harsh noise. She couldn't help but stare as the beast charged once more at the man. He expertly side-stepped the assault and then plunged his sword into the monster's chest.

The scream that came from it was loud and blood-curdling, sending shivers down her spine. It staggered back, writhing in pain, and fell to the ground, where it finally lay motionless. Rukia watched as the man pulled a scrap of cloth out of his pocket and wiped his sword. She grimaced when she saw the cloth come away black. There was a knot in her stomach that wouldn't let up. She slowly dropped her gaze to the floor, trembling. She hugged herself in an attempt to stop.

She jumped when she felt his hands on her shoulders. She stared at him as he knelt next to her.

The man had unusually bright orange hair. Rukia wondered if it was dyed before looking at his eyebrows, which were the exact same color. His eyes held a sort of warmth, as if he were trying to comfort her. They were the color of warm honey, and she could see the underlying worry he was trying to keep hidden. His jaw was set. She wondered how she could notice these details from someone she hardly knew.

"Are you okay?" he asked. His voice was deep.

Rukia didn't trust her voice, so she just nodded before pushing herself up to her knees.

She heard the man let out a breath before he did the unexpected. He yelled, "What the fuck were you thinking?! You can't take on a fledgling with a dictionary! You could have died, idiot!"

Rukia turned to stare at him, bewildered by his sudden change in attitude. After the night she had, she couldn't help but snap at the man, al trace of her tears and fear gone.

"How dare you yell at me after what I just went through! I had no idea what that thing was or why it was after me! One minute, I'm making myself hot chocolate, and the next, I'm hitting some black _thing_ with a dictionary! Then you come barging in with your sword and superior attitude and stab the thing through the heart right in front of my eyes. Now it's bleeding all over the carpet! How the hell am I going to get that out? I'm sure they don't sell demon blood remover at Wal-Mart!" she snapped, her breath coming out in a huff.

Suddenly, the fledgling's corpse started to fold in on itself. Smoke rose from its body and soon the carpet had a disgusting, black stain that reeked of sulfur. Rukia shrieked at the sudden transformation and put a hand to her mouth to prevent from throwing up her dinner from several hours earlier.

He stared at her for a couple of seconds before he threw his head back and burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?!" she screeched angrily.

"You...You almost died, or worse, got your ass turned into a fledgling, and you're worried about your carpet?" he managed to get out.

Rukia opened her mouth to shoot back a snappy retort and then realized that he was right. She frowned at this and crossed her arms with a scowl.

Suddenly, her knees buckled under her and she felt a sharp pain on her legs. He sucked in a breath when he looked down at her and he rushed over to her before she hit the floor.

Before she knew it, Rukia was somehow in his arms. "Oi! What the hell!?" she yelled at him, looking at him in confusion.

"Your calves…." he trailed off uneasily.

She glanced down at her legs and noticed that they were cut up and bleeding profusely. She guessed it was from the ceramic cup she dropped earlier.

"Oh..." she whispered with wide eyes.

"Now," he began calmly, "where do I get some towels to clean those wounds up?"

She pointed down the hallway to their right. "There's some in the bathroom, second door on the left," she directed him. He headed over there without another word, Rukia still in his arms.

He pushed the door open and set her carefully down on the counter. She gestured to a small closet door behind the open one. Ichigo peeked around the bathroom door and saw it, an eyebrow shooting up. He opened the tiny closet and grabbed a white towel from one shelf. He went over to the sink and ran it under the cold water. He then kneeled before her to start cleaning the blood from her legs.

Despite his rough exterior, he was being gentle in wiping them, so she decided to relax. The cuts weren't too deep, but there _were_ a lot of them. She leaned back and closed her eyes to think, trying to get the events that just occurred to sink in her mind. It seemed so impossible, but was it really? I mean, after all, she saw mythical creatures every day. This wasn't too different, was it?

After a minute, his voice interrupted her train of thought.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," he muttered and looked up at her. Her eyes snapped open and she glanced down at him, puzzled. He frowned a bit but then replied, "That's my name."

Rukia stared at him before tentatively answering, "Kuchiki Rukia."

Ichigo's head shot up almost instantly. His strong gaze held her captive. "Did you just say…Kuchiki?" he choked out.

She nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, so?"

He stared at her like she had grown a second head. After a minute of silence, her eyes narrowed and a vein in her head twitched. "Hey, Kurosaki, take a fucking picture. It'll last longer," she snapped.

Ichigo gave a violent shake of his head before straightening. He soon disappeared, seemingly into thin air.

She stared blankly at the space Ichigo had once occupied, startled. Her ears pricked up when she heard fumbling and cursing from the living room. She glanced at her now-bandaged calves and slid off the counter to see what he was doing. When she entered, he was nowhere to be seen. She inspected the place with a confused expression. "Kurosaki?" she called out.

"Where is he?" His desperate question came from behind her. She made a startled noise in her throat and spun around. He was slightly out of breath and had a somewhat crazed look in his eyes.

"Where's who? I don't know what you're talking about!" she replied, a bit annoyed.

He gave a low growl in the back of his throat. "What do you mean, who? Where is Byakuya?" he asked again, his fists clenched and shaking.

Rukia stared at him, wondering if he was crazy. She tilted her head in confusion. "Who is this 'Byakuya'?"

Ichigo's eyes widened in disbelief. He then scowled and began furiously, "Wait…what? You're a Kuchiki and you don't know who he is?"

Before she could answer, they heard the door opening and Renji calling out, somewhat suspicious, "Rukia?"

Ichigo swiveled his head to the door that was opening. Before she could even blink, he was in front of her, sword drawn and pointed at the door. Renji slowly walked in, his shoulders stiff and stance defensive. She noticed his eyes were becoming a pale red tint.

"Kurosaki, wait! You don't understand! That's the man who's taken care of me for the last eight years!" she protested.

Ichigo blinked in surprise and lowered his sword. His eyes widened in some sort of realization and she saw his jaw working, trying to form words.

"Wait…I know you. It's been a while, hasn't it, Kurosaki?" her guardian asked, his tense stance relaxing, only slightly. He allowed himself a casual smile, making Rukia's jaw drop. They knew each other?

Ichigo smirked and asked, "How many years has it been since we last exchanged pleasantries like this, Renji?"

The werewolf shrugged good-naturedly. "Dunno. But it's been a long time…."

"Honestly, I didn't think I would ever see your ugly mug again," he joked lightly, making the other male scowl.

A vein twitched on Rukia's head. She stumbled over to stand in the middle of the two men. "Someone better start explaining things _right now_." She glared at Renji and pointed at him. "And you better start first."

Renji sighed in defeat. He knew that once Rukia wanted to know something, she wouldn't stop until she got some answers. "I can't, Rukia. I can't involve you in matters that deal with the Soul Society…."

Her eyes narrowed at her guardian. "And why not, Renji? Aren't I old enough to know about them already?" She knew she was being stubborn, but she didn't want to be kept in the dark about this.

He scowled at her attitude. "Hey, don't take that tone of voice with me. You know well enough why I don't tell you about the worlds, Rukia. Just because a guest's here doesn't mean you can pressure me to get what you want."

The two engaged in a silent battle of glares before a chilling howl ripped through the night. Rukia's eyes widened and she twisted to the door of the apartment's balcony. She saw a dark, hooded shape emerge through the swirling black curtain. The two males instantly got into fighting stances.

Renji's eyes glowed red, the tell-tale sign that he was about to Change. Ichigo shoved Rukia behind him, making her stumble. She peered around him cautiously and caught a glimpse of a being walking calmly into the living room before Ichigo stepped in front of her view. Beside him, the werewolf gave a low growl from deep in his throat.

"Well, well, well," a quiet voice said. "Isn't this delightful? A little reunion between the two troublemakers of Seireitei Academy. It's just like old times, isn't it, boys?" the person's voice asked in what would have been a thoughtful manner had it not held hidden sarcasm.

Rukia stepped to the right and stared quizzically at the hooded figure. Ichigo's eyes enlarged in recognition and he let out a gasp of surprise. Renji growled ferociously at the figure, making the Kuchiki look at the two of them in bewilderment. The orange-haired male stiffened and he took several steps forward to stand directly in front of the stranger.

"Aizen…." The name sounded like a curse as it left his lips.

The hooded figure chuckled and pulled back his hood. His shaggy brown bangs fell in front of his eyes. "Kurosaki Ichigo…I'd say it's a pleasure to see you again, but then I would be lying. I'm not here for a heartfelt reunion with you two idiots, however. I'm only here for the girl."

She made a startled noise in her throat. Renji's body rippled slightly and he crouched low, ready to burst into his werewolf form to rip Aizen apart. Ichigo laughed, though there was no mirth in it.

"That's funny, Aizen," he said dryly. "You aren't taking this girl anywhere. She's mine." Ichigo glared at the man in front of him, daring Aizen to challenge his word, ignoring the small gasp Rukia let out and the soft growl from Renji.

Aizen cracked a smile, one that sent chills down her spine. "She is…yours, Kurosaki? So you aim to protect her then?" Rukia anticipated an attack, but all the strange man did was shrug. "I'm feeling merciful tonight. It also seems as though one of my beloved fledglings has failed." He eyed the dark stain on the carpet where the creature had disintegrated.

He turned around. "I will leave for tonight, though be warned. I will take her to Las Noches eventually, whether you breathe or not." He quickly vanished, making the people left in the room tense.

Rukia saw her guardian relax slightly after a few seconds, though his eyes stayed alert. She noticed Ichigo had gripped the hilt of his sword so hard that the whites of his knuckles were visible.

She watched as the two men glanced at each other, then at her. Self-conscious, she gripped her hands hard in front of her body and tilted her head to stare at an interesting dust puff in the corner of the room.

"We're in trouble now, aren't we?" Ichigo's low voice rumbled across the room and caused her to shiver. She glanced at his now cold amber eyes, staring at her although his question was for Renji.

She thought back to what he said earlier: _"She's mine."_

What did he mean by that?

* * *

And we're done! My beta convinced me to bring the page numbers from 14 to 8, so it actually gives a cliff hanger and will make you all want to read the next chapter. That, and I think she was overwhelmed by my awesomeness *creepy winky face*

So yes. She has chapter two already in her grasp and I am currently 4 pages into chapters 3 and 4! I hope to see you in about a month!

Reviews are always loved, friendly criticisms are better, but please, don't diss or just be plain rude. I have feelings and those weaklings get hurt easily.

Until next time!  
~IchiRuki


	2. Chapter 2

Hey y'all! That's right, bitches, I actually update every once in a while.

SHOCKING. I know. As always, and as my long and faithful readers know, life will never give me a break. Basically...I just broke up with my boyfriend of 4.5 years and had to get my life all settled and I totally forgot I had the new chapter and then someone commented on the last chapter and I was like..."shit dude, I need to update!" and then I tried to work with the doc my beta, **HibiscusAngel15 (who is literally an angel),** sent me and my computer was all like "loljkNOPE." So yeah. There's my life in one giant run on sentence. I have no idea if my computer will let me work on it, so what I'm going to do until I can get it fixed is give myself carpel tunnel writing all the next chapters in notebooks.

As always, your comments are loved and appreciated. I love getting the notifications in my email telling me people love me and my writing. So, not to be a comment whore, but keep doing it :D You feed my ego and it makes me want to write more.

SO. Without further ado, here is the newest chapter of **On the Wings of an Angel.**

* * *

Rukia curled her legs to her chest and asked, "So what's going to happen now, Renji?"

"Well, Ichigo went back to the Soul Society to try to convince Captain-Commander Yamamoto to let you stay with me as your bodyguard. I don't know how well that'll go over. Yamamoto is kind of a hard ass," Renji said with a snort. He leaned back in the dining room chair and looked across the table as Rukia gripped her cup of cocoa tighter.

After Aizen disappeared, Ichigo went into a wild frenzy, screaming at Renji to get Rukia's things and tugging the short girl to the door before she kicked him in the shins, effectively stopping his tirade. After a few choice expletives, and more well-placed kicks, Ichigo finally relented and agreed to go and speak with Yamamoto, but only if she promised not to leave Renji's side until he returned, whenever that was. She thought back to what had happened prior to him leaving.

"_Ichigo! Damn it, wait!"_

_He hopped onto the window sill and smirked, glancing back at her. "Wait for me," he said before vanishing into the night._

"_You sure use his first name a lot," Renji commented from the side. She turned her gaze from the now empty window to glare at him. _

"_Shut up. I'm getting more hot chocolate."_

_His chuckle followed her retreating figure into the kitchen._

"How long do you think he's going to take, Renji?" she asked quietly, staring into the swirling contents of her mug.

Renji gave her a sideways glance and sighed. "I don't know, Rukia. I really don't."

* * *

Ichigo walked through one of the great halls in the Seireitei, his mind reeling. It had only been about three Earth hours since he had left Rukia, and already he felt the need to be back with her. He felt as if he was the only one who could protect her, even though Renji was technically her guardian.

"_She's mine."_

What the hell had he meant when he said that? He shook his head and ran the facts he knew about her in his head. She was the daughter of Kuchiki Byakuya and one of the only remaining Fays. She was kinda helpless and didn't know anything about any of the worlds. Maybe that's why he wanted to protect her so badly.

Though was that the only reason?

Sighing, he continued walking down the long corridors. He was just about to reach the Captain-Commander's room when his vice-captain suddenly appeared and stopped him.

"Ah, Sado, anything to report?"

The large man shook his head silently. Ichigo knew he didn't like talking all that much.

Ichigo gave him a two-fingered salute to dismiss him and continued walking down the hallway, turning right and arriving outside a set of large double doors. He pushed them open and stepped inside to see Captains lined up on either side. Four places were missing. Aizen, Gin, and Tousen, the three angel Captains that fell to Hueco Mundo due to their revolt, were obviously not there. He glanced at the Squad Six spot, the one he had taken due to _his _absence, as he passed.

He strolled past the other captains, who were various types of beings of the realm. He paused in front of the Captain-Commander and dropped to one knee. He bowed his head respectfully.

Straightening a bit, he looked the old man straight in the eye. "Sir, I have some urgent news. Abarai Renji, also known as the Lone Wolf of Karakura Town, has been sheltering a Fay for eight years without our knowledge. Due to some unexplained reasons, he says that he cannot allow her to come to the Seireitei and be under our protection, but instead requests that we dispatch some trusted warriors to help," he stated calmly, feeling the old man's gaze on him.

Yamamoto pounded his wooden staff on the ground in anger. "This is nonsense! The Seireitei has countless soldiers here! What better place for a Fay to live than in a fortress such as this? What is more, Abarai has not informed us of this Fay he has in his custody until today!"

"Captain-Commander," Ichigo interrupted. "He believes that if he had told you of her, a mole might have relayed the information to Aizen. Even if she were to stay here, Aizen would simply unleash all of Hueco Mundo onto us, resulting in a widespread massacre of the Soul Society. It would be more reasonable, as well as safer, for only a few, strong men to stay by her side at all times to protect her."

After what seemed like hours, the Captain-Commander reluctantly nodded once before grumbling, "And who has Abarai asked for?"

Ichigo straightened a bit more. "He hasn't requested anyone in particular. However, I would like to volunteer myself and two of my most trusted men to guard this Fay. I will have my Third Seat, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, as Captain in my place and whomever she sees fit to be the substitute vice-captain."

The Captain-Commander stared at his youngest Captain. He saw a fire in the boy's eyes as he talked about protecting the Fay in question. He guessed it to be Kuchiki Rukia, the Fay child born from the noblest angel. Yamamoto knew that Abarai Renji did bring up some valid points in keeping her hidden. It seemed the only way to keep her safe was to send Captain Kurosaki and his crew. A twinge of irritation sparked within him because even if he had refused, Ichigo would go anyway. "Who will you take with you, Kurosaki Ichigo?" he asked.

"My vice-captain, Sado Yasutora, and my fourth seat, Ishida Uryu. I think three men will be enough."

"You need to bring a healer with you, Kurosaki," came a gentle voice from behind him. He turned to see Squad Four's Captain, Unohana Retsu, aiming a pleasant smile at him. He felt sweat break out on his back and gulped audibly. "Preferably a woman since this Fay happens to be female. May I offer my third seat, Inoue Orihime?" she asked politely.

Ichigo could do nothing but nod and he let out a strangled "Thank you, Captain Unohana."

Yamamoto chucked, his strong voice carrying through the room. "Very well, Kurosaki Ichigo. Gather your men immediately. You will leave whenever you see fit." And with that, the old man knocked his staff on the ground. His angel wings ruffled slightly.

Before the young Captain could leave, he called, " Kurosaki, stay here a minute."

Ichigo bowed to Unohana and walked to the Captain Commander's throne. "Yes?"

"If the Fay you are protecting is Kuchiki Rukia, then I have another task for you to perform on top of keeping her alive. If my memory serves me right, she will be turning eighteen in some months. Kuchiki Byakuya has been desperately trying to find her for years, but now that her eighteenth birthday approaches, he will begin to panic and ultimately risk his safety to find her."

Ichigo raised a brow at him. "Why?" he wondered.

"I will not tell you," he replied stubbornly. "When, and if, you see him, I need you to try to convince him to come back to the Hall of Angels. Tell him that the nobles need him. He must get past his grief over Hisana in order to fulfill his duty as a Captain," Yamamoto finished.

Ichigo stared at him, confused. _Hisana? Who is that? Why is Rukia's eighteenth birthday so important? ...When the hell is her birthday anyway?_

"If that is all, Kurosaki?"

The Captain Commander's low rumble broke him out of his thoughts and he made a hasty bow. "Yes, sir. I'll be on the lookout." He straightened and exited without another word.

Ichigo sighed with relief and headed off to the Squad Six barracks to give Nel and Sado his orders. Since Inoue and Ishida didn't quite have captain-class strength, they would have to get Spirit Passes if they were going to stay in the Human World for a while. That was going to take a few days, even if he could somehow convince Hisagi to speed up the process.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed as he thought of all the stressful duties he had to perform as a Captain. He still marveled at the fact that he was the youngest Captain in Soul Society's history. He had only received the title last year, at eighteen years old.

His squad consisted of Shadow Hunters, or superhuman killers that were charged with the task of going after demons and other Hueco Mundo beings. They weren't mortal, yet they weren't quite like any magical creature in any of the realms, even here. They all had super-fast reflexes, they could spot any moving object, no matter its speed, with ease, they ran faster than the eye could see, and all of them were very strong.

On top of that, each member of his Squad had random physical attributes that made them unique. His vice-captain's right arm was covered in a strange armor that went all the way past his shoulder. It was gray with a red and white stripe down the middle of it. It had the power to shoot controlled magical energy from his fist.

Ichigo, on the other hand, had a red and white mask covering the upper half of the left side of his face. It made his left eye black with a gold iris. There were red designs across it that looked like bloody slashes. He usually put up a powerful glamour on it to keep it hidden at all times. However, when he needed to use its power, the mask was exposed, which usually terrified the people he was trying to save.

The power the mask brought out was…different, much different from the other Shadow Hunters. They used the magical energy that surrounded them, but he used power from deep inside him. He was a rare breed of magical creature, a Vizard.

He hated his mask. He hated the chilling voice he kept hearing in his head and the idea of what he could become if he ever lost control of it.

He had been hiding the mask when he had met Rukia. Now that he had sworn to protect her, he was going to make sure he hid it constantly. He didn't want her to think she was being guarded by a monster.

Ichigo had sent messenger fairies ahead to tell his vice-captain and Third Seat that he would need to see them. After pushing the door to his office open, he had to smile at the scene in front of him.

Sado was sitting on one of the cots he kept in the room, arms and legs crossed and a spacy look on his face. His Third Seat, Nel, sat in the cot across from him, waving her hands around and going on and on about some little story involving her and her two best friends, Pesche and Dondochakka.

He cleared his throat and they turned to stare at him. Sado gave him a curt nod and Nel saluted, adding a "Hi Ichigo!" along with it. He nodded and saluted in return, walking over to his desk. He glanced at Nel, ready to give his orders.

"Nel, Sado and I are leaving for a Neutral World-bound mission starting tomorrow. We'll be gone for a while, so I'll need you to step up in my place as Captain. Normally, it would be Sado, but he's coming with me. You can choose one person to be a substitute vice-captain, and if needed, another Third Seat. I'll be sending pixies once a week to update you on my progress. I expect the same from you," he stated.

Nel nodded once. "Good. Thanks again, Nel. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to speak with Sado alone. I'll come find you before we leave."

"Okay, Captain Ichigo," she said, saluting once more before walking out the door.

After she left, he turned to Sado. "The two of us, Inoue, and Ishida, are going to be stationed in the Neutral World to protect a Fay that I discovered in Abarai Renji's custody last night while I was searching for Aizen's goons.

"This Fay is special. We recently discovered her father was…_is_ the Noble Angel Kuchiki Byakuya, one of the last Kuchiki nobles. The Fay we're guarding, Kuchiki Rukia, is ultimately a big target for Aizen since he wants to make her father come out of hiding…to kill him."

If you paid close enough attention to Sado, you could read his thoughts by looking into his eyes. Throughout his explanation, Ichigo had caught surprise, worry, and finally determination flash through his vice-captain's eyes.

He cracked a smile and saluted his Captain. "No problem," his deep voice carried.

Ichigo smiled. "Alright, Sado, get Ishida and Inoue. She should be at the Squad Four barracks. Take them to Hisagi so he can make the two of them Spirit Passes. We need to leave as soon as possible."

The huge Shadow Hunter nodded once and got up, letting himself out.

Ichigo sighed and dropped his head onto his desk. This mission was going to stress him out….

A memory flashed in the back of his mind. _"She's mine."_

"What have I gotten myself into…."

* * *

Rukia slumped her head onto her desk as the lunch bell rang. She listened as chairs scrapped back and students' voices filled the room. She sighed before lifting her head. Her eyes widened when she was face-to-face with a concerned Arisawa Tatsuki.

"Are you okay, Rukia? You've been acting strange the last couple of days…."

"Yeah, I'm okay, Tatsuki. I just feel weighed down studying for winter Finals," she replied, smiling and vainly hoping her friend would believe her lie. Not that it wasn't true or anything; Finals just weren't the first thing on her mind.

_"Wait for me,"_ he had said.

She had been. For almost a week now. And he still hadn't come.

She remembered the morning after, she had stumbled into the living room to see three goblins prodding the dark carpet stain curiously. She had then burst out laughing after they had jumped back and screamed about how it had burned them. Of course, that had woken Renji and he'd stumbled into the living room only to laugh with her.

Since then, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. That weird guy with the cape hadn't shown up, and there weren't any more vampire attacks. She was starting to think that Ichigo had just forgotten her and decided to stay in the Upper Planes.

_"She's mine."_

That would probably be for the best.

"Hey, Rukia, you seeing this?" Tatsuki's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She glanced up at her dark-haired friend, who was staring at some sort of commotion at the front of the class. She sat straighter in her chair and tried to look over the semi-circle of whispering students, but still couldn't see anything.

"What are you talking about, Tatsuki?" Rukia mumbled with a hint of irritation. The other girl was continuing to stare at the front of the room.

"Stand up and see for yourself, midget," she retorted, ignoring her friend's glare.

Rukia sighed and stood on her tip toes to try to see what was going on. The first person she saw was a large, muscular man with curly brown hair falling over one eye and his arms crossed over his chest. To his right was a tall, slim, dark-haired boy who kept pushing his glasses up his nose as he talked quietly to a busty auburn-haired girl standing next to him. She was rocking back and forth on her heels as she listened to him intently.

_It's unusual to have three new transfer students in one day_, she thought with a raised eyebrow. She relaxed her feet as the students in front of her started to clear the room.

"Come on, Rukia. Let's go eat," Tatsuki said behind her. She started to turn to answer her friend when she saw him.

"Ichigo…"

She watched as he turned slowly towards the sound of her small whisper, as if he had heard her all the way across the room.

"_Wait for me."_

Her heartbeat quickened as his amber eyes found hers and a relaxed smile spread across his face. She stood immobile as he left his small group to walk to her. She vaguely heard Tatsuki say something but she was so focused on him that she didn't hear it.

"Kuchiki-san," he said when he finally reached her.

A vein twitched on her head and she glared up at him. Ichigo, sensing the danger, looked back at his odd group. They all made eye contact with him and nodded once before they began conversing with other students. He then grabbed Rukia by the wrist and pulled her out of the classroom. She yelled in surprise and nearly tripped forward a couple of times.

Once he had closed the door, he glanced down at her. "Which way to the roof?"

She tried to get her hand out of his grasp, but he only tightened his grip in annoyance. "Let go of me!" she demanded, glaring harder at him.

Ichigo scowled and replied quickly, "When we get to the roof, Kuchiki."

She frowned but stopped struggling. Reluctantly, she pointed down the hall to a closed door. There was a sign with red letters on it by the door that read: Service Stairs-No Entry. Ichigo tugged her arm, signaling her to go forward. She glowered at him but followed him to the door. He pushed it open, revealing a cement staircase that led to another closed door above them.

"Why are you taking me to the roof, Kurosaki?" she snarled. He merely smirked in response. It infuriated her.

After climbing the flight of stairs, they finally reached the door leading out to the top of the school. Ichigo held it open for her, releasing her arm. She strolled past him and he followed suit, knocking the peg down to keep the door propped open. He crossed his arms over his chest as looked at her with a serious expression. She copied his movements, though she continued glaring up at him.

"Took you long enough," she spat.

He scowled at her. "Things take time, _princess. _I tried to get here as fast as I could, but the conference with Yamamoto and the other Captains took time. Getting Spirit Passes for Inoue and Ishida took time. Going through the Senkaimon took _time. _I've been trying, Rukia, I really have." Though he sounded irritated, he looked almost forlorn when he finished. She felt her anger thaw slightly.

Still. She kept her arms crossed. She kept glaring at him.

He sighed at her attitude and his scowl deepened. He ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. He began turning away when she suddenly muttered, "I thought you had forgotten about me."

He looked back at her and snorted. "I couldn't get back fast enough, midget." He smirked.

She was annoyed by his comment but she knew it held warmth and not contempt. She rolled her eyes and was about to call him something in return until they heard loud footsteps clomping up the stairs. He turned slightly and Rukia leaned over only to see Tatsuki rush through the door, followed by Ichigo's three groupies.

"Kurosaki-kun! We couldn't stop her!"

"Ichigo."

"What the hell were you thinking, Kurosaki?!"

"What's going on, Rukia?!"

Their voices mixed together and the two of them glanced at each other, amber eyes alight with amusement and violet eyes slit into another glare.

"You think this is funny, Ichigo?"

He just smiled wordlessly at her. He then walked over to his tall companion and they started talking quietly. Glasses Pusher stood close to the busty one while Tatsuki sent death-glares her way.

Rukia sighed. "What have I gotten myself into…."

* * *

So there we go! I hope you all enjoyed. I will try to keep this as updated as I can until my computer is fixed.

As always, my chapters are dedicated to my love, **PersonalRiot** and my bestest beta ever, **HibiscusAngel15**. You girls are freaking amazing. And I love you both.

IchiRuki OUT.


End file.
